Unfortunately, yes; time constraints keep me from engaging in this discussion the way I'd like -- though when I can, I'll be more than happy to. I agree that the church behaved unethically -- but I'd say that's putting it mildly. My point about opening yet another can of worms has to do with this being yet another example of such beliefs providing an excuse for such actions, protecting the guilty from punishment. This sort of thing is barbaric and, frankly, should be condemned by anyone with a scintilla of sense; and those who participate in such deserve little consideration in my book. (Hell, I haven't forgiven Ann Putnam yet!
)
On "the God gene"... what I was referring to earlier was something which has become a topic investigated by various evolutionary biologists, actually, and has little (or actually, IIRC, nothing) to do with the group(s) you mention in your earlier post. The actual article linked to in the thread (which I'm having trouble finding) was from the New York Times, and was discussing the matter in light of these investigations....
I frankly hesitate to say that there
is such a gene, but I won't dismiss it out of hand....